This colorful math book introduces a novel visual method for students to master their fraction arithmetic skills. The creative design helps to engage student interest, while the visual layout ties into one of the current pedagogical drives in education - namely, to use visual strategies since research has shown them to be effective learning tools. These visual problems also help to develop visual skills. This volume focuses on multiplying and dividing fractions. The back of the book features a table of answers to help students check that they are practicing correct techniques (or it may serve as a grading key for teachers or parents). A concise description of pyramid math - including how to solve the problems - is given in the introduction. The first exercise has been partially solved in order to help students get started. There are also two completely answered, full-size examples on the front and back cover. Studying these examples and checking the answers to the first page of each part will help students become confident that they understand what to do. Each section (one for multiplication and one for division) begins with a concise explanation of how to multiply or divide fractions, which includes reducing fractions. A couple of examples of how to multiply and divide fractions, showing all of the steps, serve to demonstrate how to do the math. The interior is printed in full color with aesthetic visual patterns. The 8" x 10" pages are nearly the same size as standard school papers that students are used to working with. Each problem includes its own dedicated workspace. Both the answers and workspaces are numbered from 1 thru 10 for easy correspondence. The workspaces encourage students to show their work, and the symmetrical structure of the workspaces shows students how to organize their work in neat columns. The copyright notice permits parents/teachers who purchase one copy to make photocopies for their own children/students only. This is very convenient if you have multiple children/students or if a child/student needs additional practice. Teachers may also wish to display these colorful problems using a projective camera or a transparency overhead projector.
Chris McMullen is a physics instructor at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He earned his Ph.D. in phenomenological high-energy physics (particle physics) from Oklahoma State University in 2002. Originally from California, he earned his Master's degree from California State University, Northridge, where his thesis was in the field of electron spin resonance. As a physics teacher, Dr. McMullen observed that many students lack fluency in fundamental math skills. In an effort to help students of all ages and levels master basic math skills, he published the Improve Your Math Fluency Series of math workbooks on arithmetic, fractions, and algebra. He also published two series of color math workbooks - pyramid math books and radial math books - which are more visual and creative.
